Flying Officer Anton Novak (RCAF) was safe, back in the UK 1945-05-26
Footprints on the sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock, page 372
Novak, Anton (Flying Officer)
Prisoner of War 1944-July-29
Birth Date: 1913-March-09
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home:
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
576 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Carpe Diem Seize the opportunity
Base
RAF Elsham Woods
Rank
Flying Officer
Position
Navigator
Service Numbers
J/23496
PoW: 52605
Target
Stuttgart Germany
Carpe Diem - 576 Squadron RAF - The CrewsCrew or Other Personnel
Lancaster LL905
Mission
Lancaster Mk.I LL905
Bombing Stuttgart Germany 1944-July-28 to 1944-July-29
576 (B) Sqn (RAF) RAF Elsham Woods
576 Squadron (Carpe Diem) RAF Elsham Woods. Lancaster I aircraft LL 905 UL-H2 was lost during a night raid against targets in Stuttgart, Germany. The Lancaster was shot down by a German night fighter and crashed six miles south-east of Saaralben, Alsace Lorraine between Saarewerden (Bas-Rhin) and Rimsdorf, France
Their are two claims for this Lancaster, either Hauptmann Martin Becker of the 2/NJG6 (flying Bf 110 G-4 2Z+MK) or Unteroffizier Egon Engling of the 8/NJG2
Flying Officer Edward James Mann DFC (RCAF), Flight Sergeant Donald Irwin MacVicar (RCAF), Flight Sergeant Leslie Mutton (RAAF) and Sergeant Reginald Alan Wellesley Roberts (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Flying Officer Anton Novak (RCAF), Flight Sergeant Francis Thomas McCann (RAFVR) and Sergeant William Thomas Doidge (RAFVR) survived to become Prisoners of War
There were four 576 Squadron Lancaster aircraft lost this same date. The other Lancaster aircraft were serials PB 128 UL-S2, LL 799 UL-N2 and PB 253 UL-A2
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 Part 4 24 July - 15 October by Theo Boiten, page 22
1 Group Bomber Command an Operarional Record by Chris Ward with Greg Harrison and Grzegorz Korcz
Lancaster LL905 Mk.I - Bombing Stuttgart Germany - 1944-07-28 to 1944-07-29
Squadron: 576 (B) Sqn (RAF)
Start Date: 1944-07-28
Completion Date: 1944-07-29
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Stuttgart Germany
Target Specific:
Base: RAF Elsham Woods
Take Off Time: 21:10:00
Squadron Code: UL-H2
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: France
Crash Specifics: six miles south-east of Saaralben, Alsace Lorraine between Saarewerden (Bas-Rhin) and Rimsdorf
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim: either Hauptmann Martin Becker of the 2/NJG6 (flying Bf 110 G-4 2Z+MK) or Unteroffizier Egon Engling of the 8/NJG2
Stuttgart
{{webimage,wardiaries.jpg,float:right;width:150px;,Book no longer in print}}494 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos of 1,3,5, and 8 Groups in the last raid of the current series on the target. German fighters intercepted the bomber stream while over France on the outward flight; there was a bright moon and 39 Lancasters were shot down. 7.9% of the force.
6 Bomber Group July 28/29, 1944
46 Lancasters from 408, 419, and 428 Squadron were joined by 186 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 425, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 Squadrons on an attack at Hamburg. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 22,000 feet, releasing 2,019,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, some bombing fell into the port area, otherwise the attack was scattered. On this attack, 6 Group suffered their highest losses. 22 crews failed to return.
As well as the crews that went to Hamburg, 5 Halifaxes from424 Squadron were ordered on a mining operation to Heligoland. The crews were over the garden at between 12,000 and 15,000 feet, sowing 20@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
576 Squadron (Carpe Diem) RAF Elsham Woods. Lancaster I aircraft LL 905 UL-H2 was lost during a night raid against targets in Stuttgart, Germany. The Lancaster was shot down by a German night fighter and crashed six miles south-east of Saaralben, Alsace Lorraine between Saarewerden (Bas-Rhin) and Rimsdorf, France
Their are two claims for this Lancaster, either Hauptmann Martin Becker of the 2/NJG6 (flying Bf 110 G-4 2Z+MK) or Unteroffizier Egon Engling of the 8/NJG2
Flying Officer Edward James Mann DFC (RCAF), Flight Sergeant Donald Irwin MacVicar (RCAF), Flight Sergeant Leslie Mutton (RAAF) and Sergeant Reginald Alan Wellesley Roberts (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Flying Officer Anton Novak (RCAF), Flight Sergeant Francis Thomas McCann (RAFVR) and Sergeant William Thomas Doidge (RAFVR) survived to become Prisoners of War
There were four 576 Squadron Lancaster aircraft lost this same date. The other Lancaster aircraft were serials PB 128 UL-S2, LL 799 UL-N2 and PB 253 UL-A2
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 Part 4 24 July - 15 October by Theo Boiten, page 22
1 Group Bomber Command an Operarional Record by Chris Ward with Greg Harrison and Grzegorz Korcz